Improvement in lubricating axle-boxes for carriages and wagons



w. w. CRANE.

Lubricating Axle-Boxes For Carriages and Wagons. No. 133,417. PatentedNov.26,187 2.

Witness AM PHDTUH THOGHA PH/l; C0. NKMSEOR/VES F/MLISS) UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE...

WELLSLY w. CRANE, OF AUBURN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN LUBRICATING AXLE-BOXES FOR CAR RIAGES AND WAGONS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 133,417, dated November26, 1872.

To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WELLsLY W. CRANE, of Auburn, in the county of Cayugaand in the State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Self-Lubricatin g Axle-Box; and do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanyin g drawing and to the letters of referencemarked thereon making a part of this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction and arrangementof a self-lubrieating axle'box, as will be hereinafter more fully setforth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my inventionappertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe itsconstruction and operation, referring to the annexed drawing, in whichFigure 1 is a perspective view of the wheelspindle; Fig. 2 is aperspective longitudinal section of the axle-box; Fig. 3 is a similarview, showing a modification; Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the box5 and Fig. 5 is a perspective of an entire wheel-hub with my box.

A represents the box proper, constructed in any suitable form. In themain part of the box-that is, the hub part-is an interior box, B,connected with the exterior 'box' by arms a a, and the whole is cast inone piece. Between the interior and the exterior box is formed achamber, b, to contain oil for lubricating the wheel-spindle, the oilbeing admitted into said chamber through one or more suitable openings,which openings should be closed oil-tight, so that no oil can escapethrough the same in any way. The oil from the chamber b passes throughone or more apertures in the internal box B to the spindle, and alsoalong grooves or channels a c' formed in the remaining part of the boxA. At or near the inner end of the box A is an internal circumferentialflange d, against the outer side of which the collar on the axle is tobear. The inner edge of this flange, as well as the ends of the interiorbox B, are feathered or beveled around the axle, as shown in Fig. 2, soas to:

prevent the oil from escaping around the axle. The outer end is closedby the usual cap, as shown in Fig. 5.

The interior box B may be extended the entire length of the box A, asrepresented in Fig. 3, in which case the grooves or channels it are ofcourse dispensed with. In either case it will be seen, that whenever thewheel is standing, the oil will settle down into'the lower portion' ofthe chamber b, but when in motion the oil will be uniformly distributedentirely around said chamber. This operation of stopping and startinghas the efi'ect to keep the external surface of the internal box coveredwith oil, and this is constantly working its way through the internalbox to the axle.

In metallic hubs, where no axle-boxes are used, a similar oil-chambermay be formed by.

an interior hub, arranged and constructed in preciselythe same manner asabove described for the axle-box.

With this device no oiling is required oftener than once or twice ayear, as when once filled it will run from sixto twelve months beforethe oil is exhausted.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the external box A and the internal box B, casttogether, with an oilchamber and arms a a between, as and 'for thepurposes set forth. I

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this30th day of October, 1872.

' WELLSLY W. CRANE.

Witnesses A. N. MARE, Emu. F. BROWN.

